Mechanical stoker



. 5, 1933. E. A. TURNER MECHANICAL STOKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. l, 1928 NN MN NN NN mm. wm,

INVENTOR Dec. 5, 1933. E. A. TURNER 1,938,551

MECHANICAL' STOKER Filed Sept. l, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR Patented Dec. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES MECHANICAL STOKER Edwin Archer Turner, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application September 1, 1928. Serial No. 303,396

3 Claims.

The invention relates to mechanical stokers of the type in which the fuel is conveyed from a fuel bin to fuel projecting and distributing members which act directly to project the fuel into the firebox and distribute it over the grates thereof; and more specifically relates to the class in which only one fuel projecting and distributing member is employed.

It is one of the objects of the invention to materiallyy simplify the construction, and at the same time, to improve the efficient operation of stokers of this type.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a Stoker in which an improved form of mechanical roperating distributor is employed for sweeping the fuel from the feeding means, and then projecting and distributing it over the fire.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the weight of, and space occupied by, the Stoker.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following specification, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinalsectional view showing the improved stoker mechanism and associate parts including portions of the locomotive and tender;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view corresponding with Figure 1, with portions removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the fuel projecting and distributing member takenon the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Figure 1 and looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows at said line.

My present invention is particularly adapted to and will be described as being applied to a locomotive, however, its use is not to'be limited to any particular form of boiler firebox.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly Figures 1 and 2, the stoker improvement of this invention is illustrated as applied to a locomotive, generally indicated at A, and a tender, therefor'indicated as a Whole at B, the two being exibly connected together for railroad service in the ordinary manner by the coupling C; such application of my invention being made for the purpose of mechanically conveying a substantially continuous stream of fuel from the fuel bin 10 of the tender to a fuel casing 11, through the iioor thereof, which casing is in communication with an opening 12 in the backwall 13 of the rebox 14, and there to be projected into the firebox and distributed over the grates 15 thereof, in al,-

ternate discharges to either side of the firebox by a mechanically operated distributor 16.

This invention consists in certain improved features of construction and arrangement of parts, which is hereinafter fully described.

The fuel bin 10 of the tender has a floor 17 which is provided with shiftable plates 18 for forming an opening through which the fuel is allowed to drop down into the rear portion or trough 19 of a conveying system which is suit- 65A ably secured to the tender and is connected by a universal joint 20 with a forward telescoping tubular conduit section indicated as a whole at 21, which has its opposite end connected with the universal joint 22 to the fuel casing 11, at the 70 rearward end of its curved elbow portion 23 which is preferably integral with and disposed below the fuel casing floor. The fuel casing 11, together with its curved elbow portion 23, is suitably supported on the locomotive as by a bracket 24 secured to the backwa-ll 13 by any suitable bolts through the flanges 25 and 25a.

The fuel casing 11, hereinafter referred to more in detail, extends horizontally forward to and if desirable, somewhat Within the opening 12, and is 30` preferably openY to and in communication with the lower portion of said opening. AThat portion of the opening 12 above said fuel casing may be closed by any suitable or usual form of door 26 which may be opened for inspection of the flrebox or for hand firing of the fuel through the opening 12. Y

There is mounted within the conduit system a fuel conveyor comprising conveyor screw sections 27 and 28, the section 27 is disposed within 90 the trough portion of the conduit and thesection 28 within the tubular portion 21 of the conduit and terminates at or in the vicinity ofthe elbow 23 of the fuel casing. The two sections 27 and 28 are connected by the universal joint 29; 95 and the conveyor screw as a whole is adapted to be automatically actuated as by the power actuated means such as the motor, indicated as a whole at 30, in Figure 2. Said conveyor drive motor is supported on the locomotive tender in any suitable manner and is operatively connected with the screw conveyor system by the shaft 31 to suitable gearing at the rear 'end of the portion of the screw section 27 as is the ordinary practice and well known in the art. A crusher member 32 is disposed above the screw 27 at the forward end of the trough 19 for engagement with the large lumps of fuel being advanced by the screw and is adapted to reduce them to suitable Seize for delivery to the nrebox.

From the tubular conduit 21, the fuel is received in and is deflected upwardly by the elbow 23 to the fuel casing 11 through the floor 33 thereof. The fuel Casing preferably comprises, the floor portion 33, a semi-circular vertical side wall 34 and a top Wall 35 which shown is made in the form of a hinged cover, and if desired, may be detachably secured to the casing wall 34 in any suitable manner. The Vertical wall 34 bes shown in Figure 2, heretofore described, has flanges as at 25 and 25a to receive bolts for detachably securing the fuel casing to the backwall 13. The floor 33 of the casing 1l extends inwardly through the opening 12 and somewhat into the rebox and is shaped at its forward end to provide a semi-circular table portion from which the fuel is distributed by the fuel projecting and distributing means. While the floor 33 is shown as being an integral part of the fuel casing ll, it may, if preferred, be made in the form of a separate and detachable portion.

Thus, by delivering the fuel through the floor of the fuel casing, the feeding ,conduit system can be, in most instances, located beneath the floor or deck 36 of the locomotive cab 37.

The fuel distributing means includes an oscillatory device or sweeping member heretofore indicated as a whole by the numeral 16 and comprising a hub portion 38, a vertical longitudinal rib or blade 39, as best shown in Figure 3, extending therefrom nearly to its opposite end and a horizontal blade 40 radially disposed from the hub and extending outward from the top of the vertical blade 39 on opposite sides thereof, forming a T-shaped portion, said vertical blade being preferably bifurcated at its outer end so as to form two outwardly curved hooks 41 and 42. The hub is adapted to receive a vertical shaft 43 to which it is fixed, said shaft being supported on radial and thrust bearings 44, the bearings and the shaft together with the actuating devices therefor, being inclosed and supported within a housing indicated generally at 45 at the lower part of the fuel casing 11. Below the sweeping fuel projecting member 16 and between the bear-- ings 44, the shaft carries a pinion 46 which as best shown in Figure 4, is eccentric on the shaft.

Said pinion 46 is comprised in means for reciprocating or oscillating the sweeping fuel projecting and distributing member 16, said means including the horizontally disposed rack bar 47 which constantly meshes through its teeth 48 with the pinion, said teeth being so developed that in cooperation with the pinion a variable swinging movement will be imparted to the sweeping fuel projecting and distributing mem-- ber 16, when the rack bar 47, is reciprocated in the casing 1l by the motor generally indicated as at 49 and hereinafter briefly described.

The pivotal axis of the sweeping fuel projecting and distributing member 16 is just outside the backhead and central of the floor 33 of the casing l1. In Figure 2 the member 16 is shown at one limit or extreme D of one of its oscillating movements and the parts arek so proportioned and arranged that each movement is about 456 in extent, carrying the member forward a little from each extreme and then backward to sweep up the fuel and then forward again to project and distribute the fuel over the rebed, the movement from D stopping with the member 16 at the opposite extreme position E from which it repeats its movement in a reverse direction and returns 450 to the point D. During these oscillating movements, rthe fuel delivered by the conduit 21, due to the action of the screw 28, rises in the upwardly opening deflecting elbow 23 to a point above the plane of the floor 33 or boils over and collects on the iioor in the path of the sweeping fuel projecting and distributing member to swept up thereby. As the sweeping member approaches the fuel emerging from the elbow, on its return or backward movement in either direction, it is slowed down and its minimum speed is reached at a point near the extreme rear point of its path. After this the movement of the member 16 is in the direction of the fuel feed and is accelerated to reach its maximum as it sweeps the fuel off the floor or table 33 and projects it into the firebox, distributing it over the fire.

The motor or engine by which this sweeper mechanism is automatically actuated independently of the fuel conveying motor 30, may be of any suitable construction. As herein shown the actuating rack 4'7 is suitably secured to the end of the piston rod 50 which carries at its opposite end a piston head 51, said piston head reciprocating in the cylinder 52 of the uid pressure motor, generally indicated at 49, and can be of any well known valve construction for imparting reciprocating motion to the piston 51 and the mechanism associated therewith for imparting oscillating movement to the member 16.

The sweeping or impelling portion of the fuel projecting and distributing member, being T- shaped as heretofore fully described, as it sweeps over the fuel collecting opening in the floor 33 of the casing, offers no resistance to the fuel rising or emerging from the end of the conduit 21, as the T-shaped construction permits the fue] to rise in front of or to the rear of its vertical blade 39. The horizontal blade 40 of the T shaped sweeper has the effect of holding the fuel on to the floor of the casing in front of the Vertical wall 39 which projects it into the firebox and distributes it evenly over the lire.

In the operation of my device, the fuel feed is separate from that of the distributing means in order that each may be independently controlled, and in this embodiment of the invention the screw feed system preferably has a continuous rotation when fuel is being delivered to the fire, although, various forms of mechanism may be used for imparting intermittent or other motion to give a substantially constant flow of fuel to the distributing means. In this way the delivery of fuel to the distributing means will be substantially in a continuous stream whenever the fireman turns the valve to actuate the fuel feed mechanism, and the amount of fuel will be regulated by the speed at which this feed mechanism. is driven.V The fuel thus delivered to the distributing point in the fuel casing 11 will be swept up by the movable fuel projecting and distributing member which due to its independent drive is actuated to swing alternately in opposite directions to project alternate discharges of fuel into the firebox and distribute it over the re. The volume of fuel delivered to the distributing; means is determined by the rate of delivery of the screw feed which is controlled by the fireman independently of the distributing means.

From the foregoing description it will be recognized that this invention provides a greatly simplified compact and efficient form of stoker, which for a Stoker of this type occupies a minimum amount of space in the locomotive cab, and one which is flexibly controlled for effectively delivering the fuel over the fire.

While only one embodiment of my invention has been shown it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction without departing from the principle or scope of the invention.

I claim:-

l. In a mechanical stoker in combination, a fuel casing open at one end and having a substantially horizontal floor, a fuel feeding conduit, a fuel sweeping member having its one end pivoted centrally of said fuel casing and mounted to swinging horizontally in opposite directions over the floor of said casing and arranged to deliver fuel therefrom when swinging in either direction, a curved elbow portion associated with said fuel casing and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the floor thereof, one end of said elbow opening through that portion of the floor of said casing remote from its open end in a plane intersecting the plane of the path of said fuel sweeping member and the other end flexibly connected with said fuel feeding conduit, and a screw in said feeding conduit for advancing fuel therethrough into said curved elbow portion and constituting the sole means for urging fuel through said curved elbow portion into said fuel casing into the path of the fuel sweeping member.

2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a fuel casing open at one end to communicate with a rebox, a substantially horizontal floor for said casing having a fuel intake opening therein in that portion remote from said open end, a fuel sweeping member mounted on an axis disposed intermediate said intake opening and said open end to swing substantially horizontally in opposite directions over said floor and adapted to discharge fuel from said open end of the casing when swinging in either direction, said intake opening positioned wholly within the arc described by said fuel sweeping member, means for continuously delivering fuel upwardly in a substantially vertical plane through said fuel intake opening into the path of the fuel sweeping member, and means operating said fuel sweeping member independent of the operation of said first named means.

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination of a fuel casing open at one end to communicate with a firebox, a substantially horizontal floor for said casing having a fuel intake opening therein in that portion remote from said open end, a fuel sweeping member mounted on an axis disposed intermediate said intake opening and said open end to swing substantially horizontally in opposite directions over said floor and adapted to discharge fuel from said open end of the casing when swinging in either direction, said fuel intake opening positioned wholly within the arc described by said fuel sweeping member, feed means for feeding a continuous stream of fuel upwardly in a substantially vertical plane through said fuel intake opening into the casing in the path of the fuel sweeping member, variable speed power actuated means for swinging said member in alternately opposite directions, and a variable speed motor controlled independently of said last named means for operating said feed means, said feed means being arranged with said motor to deliver and maintain a uniform quantity of fuel in the path of said member for any given speed of said motor.

E. ARCHER TURNER. 

